Physics

Requirements for Major

The Department of Physics offers both Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees. In addition, there is an Astronomy/Physics B.A. offered jointly by the Astronomy and Physics departments. The basic B.A. is designed for students interested in physics and planning to enter other fields including engineering, medicine, education, business, and law, and for liberal arts students seeking a strong background in physics. Students planning graduate study in physics or physics-related areas should elect the B.S., the B.A. with a Distinguished Major course sequence, or the Astronomy/Physics B.S.

Requirements B.A. in Physics

There are two options leading to the BA in physics, each having three components:

The classification of the courses into prerequisites and requirements, and into components, reflects the order in which classes are taken. Physics courses are more sequential than courses in some other majors. Course descriptions in SIS, or at the department webpage, list other courses that are expected to be taken earlier, or concurrently.

For students electing a basic BA program, the courses, PHYS 3110 (Widely Applied Physics), 3120 (Applied Physics: Energy), if elected in component (3), can be used to complete a strong preparation in applied physics. These courses are designed to make use of the concepts learned in the introductory courses to understand some modern applications with a focus on energy production and use. PHYS 2660 (Fundamentals of Scientific Computing) is a good choice for completing this component. Students completing the basic BA program have an outstanding record of success in admission to medical, law, business, and education schools.

A grade point average of at least 2.0 for all the required courses with a minimum grade of C- must be achieved for graduation. Required courses are the ones listed as component (2) and (3) above, and their substitutes. The Schools impose other requirements for graduation; e.g. students in the College of Arts and Sciences need to earn a certain number of credits, and, if not Echols scholars, have to fulfill competency and area requirements.

Requirements B.S. in Physics

There are two options leading to the BS in physics, each having three components:

Option I is the recommended course sequence for BS students. Option II is often taken by students who plan (at least, initially) for a different major. It is recommended to substitute the labs PHYS 1429, 2419 with PHYS 2630, 2640, taken from the Option I sequence. Students can substitute APMA 1110 (Applied Calculus II) for MATH 1320 (Calculus II), APMA 2120 (Multivariable Calculus) for MATH 2310 (Calculus III), APMA 2130 (Applied Differential Equations) or MATH 3255 (Ordinary Differential Equations) for MATH 3250 (Ordinary Differential Equations), and APMA 3140 (Applied Partial Differential Equations) for MATH 4220 (Partial Differential Equations).

Three special concentrations can be pursued by students in either the BA or the BS programs: A Computational Physics Concentration (PHYS 5630, 5640 Computational Physics I, II); an Optics Concentration (PHYS 5310 Optics and PHYS 5320 Fundamentals of Photonics); and an Experimental Physics Concentration (PHYS 3150 Electronics, PHYS 3170 Intermediate Laboratory I, and PHYS 3180 Intermediate Laboratory II).

A grade point average of at least 2.0 for all the required courses with a minimum grade of C- must be achieved for graduation. Required courses are the ones listed as component (3) above, and their substitutes. The School imposes other requirements for graduation; e.g. students in the College of Arts and Sciences need to earn a certain number of credits, and, if not Echols scholars, have to fulfill competency and area requirements.

Distinguished Major Program: The Distinguished Major Program provides recognition of outstanding academic performance in a challenging sequence of Physics courses including a research project. Students who complete the BA-Distinguished Majors Course Sequence or the BS requirements with final grade point averages exceeding 3.4, 3.6, or 3.8, are given departmental recommendation to receive their degrees (BA or BS) with distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction, respectively.

Requirements B.S. in Astronomy-Physics

This is an interdepartmental major administered jointly with the Astronomy Department. This major prepares a student for graduate study in either astronomy or Physics. Students in this major have advisors both from Astronomy and Physics.

The School imposes other requirements for graduation; e.g. students in the College of Arts and Sciences need to earn a certain number of credits, and, if not Echols scholars, have to fulfill competency and area requirements.

Distinguished Astronomy-Physics Major Program - Students must maintain a GPA of 3.4 or better. For the Distinguished Major, students must meet the requirements of the Astronomy-Physics major described above and must also take PHYS 3660 (Quantum Phys. II) and a two-semester Senior Thesis (ASTR 4998). The six hours of elective Astronomy courses must consist of ASTR 4810 and a 5000-level course. This program leads to the award of degrees with Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction.

Requirements for Minor

In addition to a major, students may choose a minor in a second subject. The Physics Minor is for students who decided for a major in something else than physics, but who are interested in taking physics courses, and want to be able to show a basic understanding of physics.

Option III
PHYS 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040 (the Introductory Physics Courses that satisfy pre-health requirements), 2620 (Modern Physics), and two 3000-level physics courses. MATH 2310 (Multivariable Calculus) is needed to succeed in Modern Physics, but it is not formally a requirement for the minor.

A grade point average of at least 2.0 for all the required courses for the minor with a minimum grade of C- must be achieved.

Course Information

Overview of Courses in Introductory Physics

The Physics Department offers a wide range of courses and course sequences in introductory physics available to students with no previous preparation in physics. Some satisfy specific requirements for science, engineering and premedical students, while others are intended primarily for liberal arts students. They should be considered in the following three categories:

Courses for Non-Science Majors

There are six courses (Phys 1010, 1020, 1050, 1060, 1090 and 1110) intended particularly for students who are majoring in disciplines other than physical science. All of them count toward the College science requirement and all of them use only high-school mathematics.

Introductory Physics that satisfy pre-health requirements

The two-semester sequence, PHYS 2010-2020, provides a comprehensive introduction to physics without the use of calculus. These courses, together with the workshops PHYS 2030-2040, satisfy the usual requirements of medical schools. This sequence is normally taken by students who do not expect to take more advanced courses in physics.

Introductory Physics courses for Science and Engineering

The three-semester calculus-based sequence, PHYS 1710, 1720, 2620, is designed to provide a broad background in introductory physics for potential physics and other science majors. This sequence is particularly appropriate for students ready to begin the study of physics during their first semester. Calculus (MATH 1320, 2310) is taken concurrently with Physics 1710, 1720. The associated laboratory courses are PHYS 2630 and PHYS 2640. The alternative two-semester calculus-based sequence, PHYS 1425 and PHYS 2415, is designed for engineering students and majors in a science other than physics. A workshop, PHYS 1429 and 2419, is designed to be taken concurrently with Physics 1425 and 2415, respectively. This sequence can be continued with PHYS 2620 from the previous sequence.